The Law-Governed Universe

John T. Roberts

Roberts presents and defends a radically new theory of laws of nature

The clear style ensures this complex topic is easily accessible

The Law-Governed Universe

John T. Roberts

Description

John T. Roberts presents and defends a radically new theory of laws of nature, the Measurability Account. Though consistent with a Humean ontology, Roberts's theory differs sharply from the most influential Humean theory of laws, David Lewis's Best-System Analysis. Unlike other Humean theories, the Measurability Account affirms that there is an important sense in which the laws govern the universe, rather than simply describing it economically. Yet unlike non-Humean theories, it requires only minimal metaphysical commitments. In this way, it combines the advantages of Humean and non-Humean approaches to laws, while avoiding the pitfalls of each. At the heart of the Measurability Account are two new ideas: that lawhood is not a property of facts but rather a role that a proposition can play within a scientific theory, and that what is essential to laws is that they guarantee the reliability of methods of measuring natural quantities. On the basis of these ideas, Roberts argues that we can offer an informative and compelling explanation of why laws have the peculiar counterfactual resilience that sets them apart from accidental uniformities.

The Law-Governed Universe

John T. Roberts

Table of Contents

1: The law-governed world-picture 2: In defense of some received views 3: The meta-theoretic conception of laws 4: An epistemological argument for the meta-theoretic conception of laws 5: Laws, governing, and counterfactuals 6: When would the laws have been different? 7: How could science show that the laws govern? 8: Measurement and counterfactuals 9: What lawhood is 10: Beyond Humean and Non-Humean Appendix: The MAL in action: A few examples of scientific theories and their laws

The Law-Governed Universe

John T. Roberts

Author Information

John T. Roberts, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

The Law-Governed Universe

John T. Roberts

Reviews and Awards

"this is an important book that deserves serious consideration by metaphysicians and philosophers of science alike." - Steven French, The Philosophical Quarterly

"The Law-Governed Universe is thoroughly original. It is also remarkably accessible given the hard issues in metaphysics, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science that are discussed ... For philosophers who are open-minded, appreciative of recent work on laws, and who still hold to the belief that there are solutions in philosophy, this a top-notch example of our craft." - John W. Carroll, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science